Pessary



PATENT-ED JAN; 5, 1904 v P.- L'. PRIEST.

' PESSARY.v APPLICATION FILED $133.7, 190s.

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Patented January 5, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK LEWIS PRIEST, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

PEssARY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 748,650, dated January5, 1904. Application filed April '7, 1903. Serial No. 151,480. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it'mwy concern:

Be it. known that I, FRANK LEWIS PRIEST, a citizenof the United States,and a resident of Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas,have invented a new and Improved Pessary, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to mechanical means for supporting the womb toprevent painful fiexions and displacement, relieve painful menstruation,and provide for drainage in cases of ulceration, and has for its objectsto provide an appliance of the character indicated that is of novelsimple construction, is very light, is compact and devoid of abruptprojections, thus avoiding injurious abrasion of tissue, that may beconveniently self-applied or removed, that may be worn withoutdiscomfort for any desired length of time, and that will afford safe,convenient, and reliable means for the application of medicaments todiseased parts, or a suitable tampon to check dangerous hemorrhage.

The invention consists in the novel construction of 'the improvedpessary and of means for its application, as is hereinafter described,and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the pessary and of the handle-supportemployed for its proper disposition when applied. Fig. 2 is an enlargedlongitudinal sectional View of the improvement and of a portion of thehandle-support therefor, showing the detachable connection between saidparts; and Fig. 3is a plan view of the pessary.

The improved appliance is preferably con'- structed of plate metal cutand struck into form or otherwise shaped from a planchet of suchmaterial.

As shown, the improvement comprises a circular abutment-ring 4 of properdiameter and thickness, from which a plurality of similar slim arms 5project in the same direction and are preferably spaced apart'au equaldistance. There are four arms 5 shown, but if desired more may beemployed, and near the ends which are farthest from the ring 4 saidportions of the arms are convexlycu rved, as at a, so as to merge theirextremities in a central eyelet-ring 6 of small diameter, the orifice I)through which is in the same longitudinal plane with the center of thering 4.

Near the abutment-ring i the arms 5 aresimilarly incurved, as at c,forming a concave surface on the exterior of each arm at and near saidring, these concavities on the exteriors of the arms merging into theconvex portions a and producing a skeleton bulb at and near the normalposterior end of the device. It will, furthermore, be seen that theconcavities c in the set of spaced arms 5 reduce the diameter of theskeleton frame and produce a neck between the abutment-ring 4 and thebulbous formation hereinbefore described.

To facilitate the proper insertion of the pessary, a preferably tubularstraight stem 7 is provided of proper length, having a ringlike handle'7 at one end for the engagement of a finger of the wearer of thedevice, which enables the secure holding and manipulation of the stem.At the opposite end of the stem 7 a small head at is formed byperipherally grooving the hollow body of the stem close to the extremityand rounding the edges of the slight collar thus produced. The edges ofthe eyelet-ring 6 at each end of its transverse perforation are rounded,and the diameters of said perforation and of the head 0 are soproportioned that the latter may be passed into the eyelet-ring andefiect a detachable connection therewith, which will retain the skeletonframe of the pessary in position on the end of the stem 7 in a mannerwhich will permit the properinsertion of the appliance in a convenientmanner and its removal when desired.

In use of the pessary as a mechanical means for obviating spasmodicflexions or contractions of the OS in the diaphragm intervening the womband uterus, and thus correcting obstruction to the menses and incidentalpain, the skeleton frame of the appliance is introduced by manipulationof the stem 7, whereon the device-is mounted, and an insertion of thebulbous end of the frame through the us into the womb until the ring 4abuts upon the diaphragm, the slight dilatoo tion of tissue produced bythe neck of the skeleton frame serving to retain the appliance inposition.

Obviously from the relative position of the pessary a drainage-passageis afforded, in-

jury to engaged parts is prevented, and no discomfort is experiencedwhen the wearer is sitting or walking.

In cases where disease requires the positive application of medicamenteither in powdered or liquid form antiseptically-prepared fiber,

' vantage when filled with fibrous material to restrain hemorrhage, itthen serving as a plug or tampon which may hold an astringent to arrestthe flow of blood in dangerous cases.

The device may be formed of gold, silver, or other metal that does notcorrode, or the frame may be plated with metal that is not liable tooxidate. The edges of the members of the skeleton frame are rounded, sothat no injury can result from its use.

It is to be understood that when the pessary is applied by theemployment of the stem 7 after the device is placed in position, as

. before explained, the stem can and should be disconnected and removed,its rengagement with the eyelet-ring 6 for removal of the pessary whenthis is desired being readily effected in an obvious manner. It will beapparent, however, that the pessary may be removed by the fingers, ifdesired.

- Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. A pessary comprising a skeleton frame formedof a plurality of spaced arms extended from the inner side of a flatabutment-ring, said arms converging to a central eyelet-ring and curvingoutward near said eyelet-ring to provide a skeleton bulb for the frame.

2. A pessary comprising an abutment-ring, a plurality of slim, spacedarms-extended at the same side of the ring, the extended end portions ofthe arms being curved toward a central eyelet-ring, into which theymerge and provide a bulb, the arms between the rings having incurvedportions that produce a neck of less diameter than the bulb andabutment-ring.

3. Apessary, comprising an elongated skeleton frame, consisting of anabutment-ring forming one end of the frame with a plurality of spacedarms extending from the ring, and all curved inwardly and upwardlytoward a common center to form a contracted neck portion for thepessary, said arms then continuing in the same longitudinal directionand curving slightly outwardly from each other to form a bulb portion,the arms then curving into arches and all meeting at a common center toform the other end of the pessary, said ring being of greater diameterthan the diameter of said bulb portion, whereby said ring forms a stopfor the device.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK LEWIS PRIEST.

Witnesses:

JAMES W. BROWN, J. O. PATTON.

